Puff iron



May 1, 1928. 1,668,123

H. E. PAGE PUF? IRONV Filed De0. 13. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 1 H. E. PAG E JPUFF IRON Filed Dec. 1s, 192e 2 sheets-snee: 2

May 1, 1928. 1,668,123

Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED s-TATEs 1,668,123 PATENT oFFics.

HERBERT E. PAGE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW vYORK, ASSIGNOR T O UNITED STATES HOFF- MAN MACHINERY CORPORATION, OENEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- PUFF IRON.

L'pplcationvled December 13, l1926. Serial No. 154,613.

This invention pertains to puff irons which, as will be readily appreciated byv those skilled in the art, are commonly vemloyed in connection with garment pressing machines to condition the articles, or certain portions thereof, lso that the final pressing operation of such portions may be readily effected. Thus, for instance, in the pressin of the shoulders of garments, and particu arly where the padding is relatively thick, it becomes necessary to' thoroughly steam such portion prior to the-final shaping operation. p

The present invention has for its main object the production of a puff iron which presents a perforatesurface, preferably arcuate in cross section and upwardl' inclined, against which the shoulder of t e garment for instance, may be held for the purpose of steaming the same prior to thelinal shaping operation. The iron also presents at all times a heated surface so contoured that the shoulder thus steamed and softened may be drawn thereon and dried out with the desired set imparted thereto. Again, the iron inanother portion present-s a-wedge shaped section over which portions of a arment may be laid or drawn to effect ishing operations, the wedge shaped contour greatfacilitating the handling of the goods as e are drawn over the iron. preferred embodiment of the structure is shown in the annexed drawings wherein:

FigureV 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the iron and the allied parts, Figure 2 a transverse vertical section taken on the line II--II of Figure 1,

Figure 3 an enlarged detail sectional view Vof the valve which controls the passage of steam from the main body to the steaming chamber or that having the perforate wall, Figure 4 a perspective view of the iron, and

Figure 5 a top plan view thereof with parts broken away.

Urdinarily the puff non will be located adjacent one end of the table of a garment pressing machine and in the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, a portion of such table is shown at 1. Secured to the table is a casting 2 to the under face of which is secured apost or column 3 forming a support for the casting in addition to that of the table 1. A pipe 4 is mounted in the upper portion of t e chamber 5 with a return pipe 6 leading to the water space of -a steam boiler (not shown). Alsteam supply pipe is indicated by 7 and is connected into the pipe 4 through a suitable fitting as best shown in Figure 1.

The puff iron is mounted upon, and supported by, the upper end of the pipe 4. Said iron is preferably formed as an inte gral casting and is likewise preferably formed from aluminum or some .other noncorrosive metal capable of taking a high` polish or finish. The iron is formed with two chambers'S and 9, respectively, the former being the main steam chamber and the latter the spray chamber. The under, outer` wall 10 of said latter chamber is concave, when viewed from the lower side, and is provided with a series of perforations y11. Said wall 10 inclines upwardly, toward the right hand end of the iron as viewed in Figure 1, so as to rovide an inclined concave face against which the operator may readily press the shoulder of a garment when he desires to steam the same. Preferabl such curved surface will be covered by a c oth 12 held in position by a draw-string passing around the upperl marginal portion of the cover and tied as indicated in FigureV 1.

The main body' of the iron tapers toward the upper portion thereof, see Figures 2 and 4 4, and the extreme upper surface is rounded as at 13. That end of the iron which is op-I posite fromthe steaming face 10, 0r extends to the left of the. wedge shaped main body portion, takes the form of an outwardly ex tending cylindrical portion 14 which tapers to a point or rounded nose 15 and it is over this portion thatthe shoulder of the garment may be drawn after it is steamed in order to eifectually dry and shape the same.

Pipe 4 is screwed into a boss or downward Aextension 16 which boss is-likewise tapped. to receive the valve mechanism which controls the outflow of steam from the chamber 8 to the chamber 9 and hence through the openings 11 formed in the concave face 10. Said valve will be best .understood upon reference to Figures 1 and 3. It may be said to comprise a valve bodyl1 17, the upper vend of which extends throug the lower end of the` chamber 9 and is screwed into the upper wall of said chamber, a packing gland Vor nut 18 being employed to eil'ect a tight joint between the body of the valve and the under face of theboss 16.

Mounted in the upper end of the valve body 17 is a tubular member' 19, the' lower end of which forms a valve seat 20. The upper end of the member 19 is preferably provided with lateral openings 21 into and through'which steam from the chamber 8 may pass. The valve body 17 is also provided with a series of openings 22 preferabl located at a point above the valve seat, whic openings allow the steam to pass into the chamber 9 when the valve is moved from its seat.

Extending through a guide or bonnet 23 mounted in the lower end of the valve body 17 is a valve stem 24, said stem being connected through a swivel yoke 25 to a draw rod 2G which latter in turn, at its lower end is connected to a foot lever 27 fulcrumed at 28 upon lugs 29 extending upwardly from a base plate 30 in which the lower end of the column 3 is likewise preferably secured. The lever 27 is normally held in its raised position by a spring 31 interposed between it and the base plate 80. The valve stem 24 carries at its upper end a valve disk 32 adapted, when the rod and stem are moved upwardly under the action of the spring 31,

to contact the seat 20 and to close o the flow of steam through the member 19. As a consequence, steam will not pass through the member 19 into the spray chamber 9 except, and only, when the lever 27 is depressed.

The outer wall of the chamber 9 being formed as an integral portion of'the iron body will at all times be hot inasmuch as steam under pressure constantly obtains within the chamber 8 by reason of the fact that the pipe 7 is ionnected with the steam space ot the boiler while the pipe 6 is connected to the water space thereof. Moreover, the arrangement as shown tends at all times to drain the chamber 8 of any water of condensation.

Owing to the fact that the lateral openings 21 are elevated above the lower wall of the chamber 8, no water of condensation, in case there should be any within said chamber, will pass through the openings when the valve is opened and as a consequence only dry steam may enter the spray chamber 9,-hence there is no danger of water being ejected through the openings 11 during the action of spraying steam upon a garment. y

While the cloth 12 may become slightly dampened through the action of the steam thereon, it will be almost immediately dried out by reason of the heat imparted thereto by the body ofthe iron which, as above noted, is hot at all times.

Assuming that it be desired to dampen and shape the shoulder' of a coat, the operator taking asmall pad or piece of cloth in his hand would pass the same into the shoulder, then press the shoulder of theA garment against the cover 12 and 4depress the lever 27. 'lhis will steam and consequently soften the shoulder, besides heating it, so that the goods may be given the desired contour. The shoulder may then be drawn onto the laterally extending cylindrical portion 14 and partially over. the top of the iron to the right of the cylindrical portion and there held until it is dried and conformed.

The wedge shaped formation of the body to the right ofthe tubular extension admits of the drawing of any portion of a. garment tbereorer in case it be desired to ldry the same. Again, the wedge shaped formation of the' main body of the iron enables an operator to draw a piece of ribbon or a belt back and forth across the same and to maintain close contact between the clot-h and the iron. The surface of the iron being polished or planished tends to smooth the goods while it is being drawn over or held against the same.

The upward inclination of the perforate and laterally c urved steaming face or wall 10 is advantageous in operation as it readily enables the operator to pass the garment inwardly beneath the same and to apply pressure to the garment or, in otherl words, to force the garment directly toward the inclined face.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a putt iron, the combination of a body the upper portion of one end whereof is rounded with sides inclining outwardly therefrom, the body adjacent its opposite end being cylindrical.

2. In a puff iron, the combination of a body the upper portion of one end whereof is rounded with sides inclining outwardly therefrom, the body at its opposite end being taplered and cylindrical intermediate its en( s.

3. In a puff iron, the combination of a bodyhaving an outwardly extending substantially cylindrical portion terminating in a tapered end; and means for heating said body.

4. In a pull' iron, the combination ofa hollow body, said body at?v one end having a cylindrical portion terminating in a tapered end; a perforate wall forming the under portion of the body at that end remote from the cylindrical portion; means for introducing steam into said hollow body; and means under the control of the operator for allowing steam to pass from the body and through the openings in the perforate wall.

5. In a puff iron,the combination of a hollow body the upper surface whereof is curved and a portion of the body of which lll having a bottom cross wall which inclines from the medial portion of the lower part of the body upwardly toward one end yof the iron; a chamber in part bounded by said wall located beneath said body, the outer wall whereof is likewise inclined andv perforate and ill-curved transversely of thev body; means for supplying steam to saidA body; and means under the control ofthe operator for allowing steam'to pass from said body into the chamber aforesaid and outwardly through the perforations in the perforate wall.

6. In a puff iron, the combination of a body portion having two chambers formed therein, a main upper heating chamber and a lower spray chamber, the lower wallv of said main chamber forming the upper wall of the spray chamber, the outer wall of said spray chamber being perforate; a valve housin extending through an opening forme in the lower Iportion of the spray chamber and into an opening formed in the lower wall of the main or 4uppermost chamber, said valve housing having lateral openings formed therein communicating with the spray chamber; a tubular member secured in the upper end of said valve housing, said'member extending upwardl within the main or upper chamber an being provided with at least one opening in the upper portion thereof which lies above the level of the adjacent wall of the chamber; a valve adapted'to seat against the lower end of said tubular member and to normally close the same; means under the control of the operator for moving said valve from its seat; and means for introducing steam into the main chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT E. PAGE. 

